Bat-signal
250px|right|thumb|[[Superman and Robin catch sight of the activated Bat-Signal.]] , "Blind as a Bat"}} The Bat-Signal was a searchlight on the roof of the Gotham City Police Department used to summon Batman for help when necessary. History It was developed by Commissioner James Gordon, and first used to alert Batman to a puzzle delivered by Josiah Wormwood. Seeing it, Batman expressed concern that Gordon would get in trouble with Mayor Hill for installing it.Idem, "The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy" Though Gordon usually used the signal, others knew about it and sometimes used it. Barbara Gordon used it to contact Batman when she believed that an impostor had replaced her father. At this meeting, the signal was partially destroyed when Batman was attacked by Harvey Bullock duplicant, and Barbara used Batman's grapple gun to pull the robot into the signal, electrocuting it. Idem, "Heart of Steel, Part II" Likewise, the real Harvey Bullock used the signal for the first time when reluctantly asking for Batman's help in discovering who was trying to kill him.Idem, "A Bullet For Bullock" On another memorable occasion, Bullock was once handcuffed to a pipe on the roof of police headquarters by Lock-Up, and the only way he could call for help was to reach the switch on the signal.Idem, "Lock-Up" After the Penguin ransomed Gotham City with his newly acquired Raven X1-11 helicopter, Gordon used the signal as usual, but Batman had been temporary blinded and was unable to respond. Idem, "Blind as a Bat" When Batman was being hunted by the police on suspicions that he had murdered several gang lords, Bullock tried to use the Bat-Signal to lure him in, but Batman did not respond. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Batman's allies were also compelled to respond to the Bat-Signal. Robin was once interrupted by the signal when he was searching for the runaway Annie. , "Growing Pains" When Nightwing decided to reconnect with Batman's crusade, he did so by responding to the bat signal with Robin.Idem, "Old Wounds" During Batman's mysterious disappearance, Superman filled in as him and joined Robin in answering the Bat-Signal. , "Knight Time" When Batgirl was infected with Scarecrow's fear toxin, she imagined a fight breaking out involving Batman, Commissioner Gordon, and Bane. In this battle, Batman electrocuted Bane by placing his Venom injection tubes into the bat signal. But before Bane died he pushed the Signal off its housing and rolled it at Batman and Gordon, causing them to plummet to their deaths. , "Over the Edge" After Bruce Wayne retired as Batman, the signal was no longer used. Even when Terry McGinnis took up Batman's mantle, Barbara Gordon (now Police Commissioner, like her father) chose not to use the signal or one like it. Nevertheless, the original signal light was somehow acquired by Paxton Powers, who used it to attract the new Batman's attention when his father, Derek Powers, degenerated into the villain known as Blight. On this occasion, McGinnis used a batarang to smash the signal. It was not seen again. , "Ascension" Other Uses , "Trial"}} Since the Bat-Signal was visible in the sky to anyone, it became something of a legend in Gotham City, and was copied by several citizens. Charlie Collins once fashioned an impromptu Bat-Signal by swinging an antique set of glider wings (shaped like a bat's) back and forth across a window when he was desperate to attract the Dark Knight's attention.Idem, "Joker's Favor" Matt attempted to use his Batman flashlight as a bat signal after he and his friends discovered Firefly attempting to burn down an old movie theater. , "Legends of the Dark Knight" While Batman and Robin are investigating the Joker's appearance in Dakota City, Static loses the signal device Batman gave him so he improvises by conjuring a Bat-Signal out of static electricity and sending it in the air. When Tim points the improv signal out to Bruce, the latter asks sarcastically why Static didn't just use a bullhorn. , "The Big Leagues" Sightings and References * "The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy" * "Heart of Steel, Part II" * "Joker's Favor" * "A Bullet For Bullock" * "Lock-Up" * "Blind as a Bat" * "Knight Time" * "Growing Pains" * "Old Wounds" * "Over the Edge" * "Legends of the Dark Knight" *"The Big Leagues" *"Hard as Nails" *"Ascension" Feature Films * Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Footnotes Category:Equipment